Recently Haynes Publishers, a UK based company with quite the library of automotive based titles released New MINII Performance Manual By Tim Mundy Product Description Since its launch in 2001, the New Mini has been a spectacular sales success in all its major markets, carving out its own identity in a marketplace full of increasingly bland small hatchbacks. It is a car that still turns heads, and has inspired a burgeoning aftermarket tuning and accessory industry, leading to the availability of a wide range of both official and aftermarket tuning packages. Written in down-to-earth language, this extensively illustrated manual is a practical enthusiast's guide to realistic Mini tuning, providing advice on how to make the best of the options available. Product Details Published on: 2009-06-15 Original language: English Binding: Hardcover 176 pages ISBN13: 9781844251223 Review Being a new publication people asked on this and other sites if the book was any good. In the interest of science, the fact I like books and it might increase traffic on this site I bought a copy from the Amazon affiliate link provided by one of our own. Matt, don't spend that 90 some cents all in one place. Being I'm cheap when it comes to shipping and hate paying for it I opted for the free slow boat from Seattle method. Amazon shipping in due course with an ETA of Nov 6th, it arrived on the 4th. Maybe the postal service is efficient? I was mildly excited when the book arrived, we all like getting good stuff in the mail. Over the past couple of days I've sat down as time permits and have read it from cover to cover. I'll jump right to punchline and explain why afterward. Don't spend the money, the book is not worth it. That said, there are some redeeming qualities. Most every subsystem is well explained, differences in models are well documented and the most of the pictures are very good, showing interesting details. So whats wrong with the book? Plenty; first off, there is nothing indicating this is a 1st Generation only work. Something on the cover or the back should state what years are covered. While some of the concepts transfer over the detailed engine information certainly does not. The author and publisher are UK based, there is barely a peep about what is going on in the US within the modding community. The UK centric view extends to the parts and specialists mentioned. Only Alta has a few passing references, otherwise almost everything mentioned is from the UK market. The books reads as 176 page advertisement for the specialist company MINI Speed. There is also quite a bit about JCW parts for updates. All in all I was rather disappointed with the book. No real new ground was covered. I did learn more about the MINI D and One, so in that aspect I know more MINI stuff but the cost for the limited knowledge does not meet my cost::benefit ratio. I say all this as someone that has more than a basic knowledge of automotive systems, how they interact and the trade offs the factory has to make to build a vehicle that can be sold worldwide. If I was new to MINIs and new to modifying cars there is a good bit of worthwhile information. A lot of the same can be found on the various MINI forums with more detail and more product options. For example, when it comes to shocks only Koni, Spax and Bilstein get any press. Coilovers are limited to Spax. This UK centric view is the flaw in this book that places it in the cannot recommend category.
Word. Thanks for letting us know. I was curious if it would be a worthwhile read. I sorta had a feeling that it would be a bit lacking for anyone who had done their reading amongst the countless performance threads on the forums.
Double damned! First, now I can't spend that 90 cents on a half a can of Scheafer beer, and second, I guess that's close to the only 90 cents I'll make on the title! Anyway, thanks for the review.. Reminds me of the book Don Racine and Gary Anderson wrote about the new Mini.... I did a review of it and gave it a "not worth the money".... Then Gary and I became good friends! Ya never know how things are going to go... Matt
Too bad its not a decent read. I suppose if you are new to the mini community this book offers a different outlook on the MINI but it sounds like it barely skims the surface of how ornate and differse the modification scene can be for this car. Shame. :/
The problem with any Mini performance book used as a guide line to tuning/modding your car for max performance is the rapidity that things change in the tuner world. By the time a book is written and then approved and taken to print and then released, any specific mods most likely will be yesterday's news. Maybe read some of Carol Smith's and others books on the general dynamics of tuning a car and then use these forums as a way to find the best for your applications. One of the great things about the internet is the ability to basicly bring info to a large group of people in almost real time!!! 2cents
I don't reccomend any Mini Specific Mod Book You're better served getting books that are more comprehensive in thier coverage of the principles involved, and then to learn the specifics of the car you want to deal with so that you can apply the principles learned to that car. These types of books tend to reference several different car makes and models to illustrate the range of applicability of any concept discussed. The principles of engine tuning aren't unique to the MINI. The principles of forced induction aren't unique to the Mini. The principles of suspension modification aren't unique to the Mini. Really, there is nothing specific to the MINI that demands special treatment. In the case of the MINI... It's just to small a market to really demand the degree of coverage needed to make a really usefull book. I think that you'll find your time better spent and learn more starting with the best books out there (there's some threads about it here and other places), and then focus on your own car. Matt